The New York Knicks are on a quest to find a new head coach ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.
Despite the Knicks playing at an elite level and reaching the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, the top brass decided to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau.
To be honest, the Knicks players’ lack of trust in Thibodeau played a bigger role in his firing than the ownership’s decision to move on from him. Evidently, the next coach that the Knicks hire is bound to be a player favorite.
So far, many names have been touted as the perfect choice to replace coach Thibodeau at the Knicks. Keeping that in mind, NBA Analysis Network brings you the six most likely candidates to become the new head coach of the Knicks.
Current team: Dallas Mavericks
NBA head coaching experience: 9 years
Dallas Mavericks‘ Jason Kidd has become a popular name as the Knicks’ potential new head coach. Kidd had previously interviewed for the job in 2020 before Thibodeau’s hiring.
Kidd’s experience coaching teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Mavs will be perfect to take over a team of the Knicks’ magnitude.
Current team: Cleveland Cavaliers
NBA head coaching experience: 0 years
Johnnie Bryant is currently part of Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson’s staff. The 2024-25 NBA season was Bryant’s 11th year as an assistant coach.
While landing the Knicks head coaching job as a rookie may sound like a pipedream, Bryant does have a past connection with the team. After all, he served as the team’s associate head coach under Thibodeau from 2020 to 2024.
Current team: Fired by Denver Nuggets in 2025
NBA head coaching experience: 12 years
Former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was instantly linked to the Knicks after Thibodeau’s firing. After all, a coach of Malone’s caliber being available on the market is as lucky as the Knicks can get.
Malone led the Nuggets to an NBA Championship in 2023 and would perfectly handle the egos of superstars for the Knicks since he has the experience of coaching someone like Nikola Jokic.
Current team: Retired
NBA head coaching experience: 0 years
Jay Wright may not have NBA head coaching experience under his belt, but he had a 21-year stint with Villanova’s basketball program.
The biggest reason why Wright has been linked to the Knicks is because he coached Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges during their college careers. He could also bring a championship pedigree to the organization as he is a 2x NCAA Tournament winner.
Current team: Los Angeles Clippers
NBA head coaching experience: 11 years
While the Knicks have been linked to several new names, the organization may just bring back Jeff Van Gundy. After all, Van Gundy served as the team’s head coach for seven years.
He also led them to their last Eastern Conference Finals championship in 1999. Following a nearly two-decade stint as a broadcaster, Van Gundy returned as an assistant coach for the LA Clippers this season.
Current team: Miami Heat
NBA head coaching experience: 0 years
Another name to keep in consideration for the Knicks’ head coaching job is the Miami Heat’s associate head coach Chris Quinn.
Quinn has remained by Erik Spoelstra’s side for more than a decade, but he is now emerging as a top name to become a rookie head coach. After all, he was among the finalists for the Phoenix Suns job before it went to another rookie head coach, Jordan Ott.
